Méli-mélo à Venise

Three different men check into a Venice hotel for very different reasons. Melvyn Orton has come to look at property being sold by Caroline Wright. Maurice Horton has come to meet a blind date that has been set up by a dating agency. Mike Lawton is a professional hit-man who has come to do a job. On their arrival each man is due to get information delivered to the hotel but the similarity of their surnames combined with language difficulties sees them getting the wrong contact information without knowing it. So Orton goes to view a house and finds himself held by a mobster. Horton thinks he is on a date with property seller Wright while Lawton thinks he has to kill Patricia Fulford (who thinks she is on a blind date).

Although this film produced the odd laugh from me, I found it very difficult to get past how very contrived and forced this farce was for the most part. It is a very dated British comedy that is rather predictable and very silly, those with low expectations might not be too disappointed because it occasionally amused me but there wasn't a great of wit here and everything was painted in very broad strokes. The characters are obviously thin and the comedy is supposed to come from all of them talking to one another at cross-purposes. At first this is a little funny but after a while it gets a bit tiresome and there isn't a great deal to distract as it moves forward. However I must contest those that call this the worst film they have ever seen; it isn't that bad – basic of course but it is weak, not terrible.

The cast mainly have little to do apart from act confused. Brown and Wilton are probably the best of the bunch and even they are not that good. They manage to produce interesting characters and are better for it. Moore has nothing to do of value and this is a poor thing to remember him by. Griffiths is amusing and works reasonable well with Kensit, but they don't have good material to work with. They all try hard to make the most of what they are working with but generally there isn't much there other than mugging.

Overall a faintly amusing farce but one that is far too contrived, forced and obvious to really be that funny. I can understand why many viewers hate it but it really isn't that bad – but it is pretty damn weak throughout but maybe if you are in an undemanding mood you'll get tickled by it a bit.

This comedy film is better than most, even though it wasn't successful and the critics hated it.

It's set in Venice and involves farcical mix-ups that are caused by three very different men being confused with each other - because their surnames sound similar and they have the same initial.

It didn't feel like that at the time but 1992 was now thirty years ago. The fact that Dudley Moore has been dead for over twenty years, the size of his TV remote and Trevor Jones' tiresome trumpet score all attest to that fact.

This represented the final whimper of Moore's film career as a variety of characters engage in an extremely unfunny chase around Venice. The plot is one of those stupid farces based on misunderstandings; in the title role Bronson Pinchot is as amusing as ringworm, but at least the cast and crew got an expenses paid holiday in sunny Italy.

Moore is almost invisible in his own film, the best performance easily being given by Penelope Wilton as a lonelyheart who reads Mickey Spillane, lets her hair down, discovers an affinity with firearms and helps Bryan Brown realise his ambition of settling down and opening a flower shop in Huddersfield. The scenes early on (SLIGHT SPOILER COMING:) were he accidentally shoots two local birds while trying to take out Ms Wilton earns the film an extra point.

I've just read about 5 reviews panning this movie, one went so far as to call it the worst movie ever. What? I guess maybe it was too fast for them, they only like snuff films, or their diploma from film school stipulated that they can only find enjoyment in movies of over 3 hours that explain, through obscure symbolism, the whole mystery of human existence. Whatever, they have lost or maybe never had the ability to enjoy entertainment for entertaining only, no deep characters, no profound message, just slapstick. Someone complained about no "character development" fer chrissake! What? You needed to know what made Brown a hit-man, What school Moore went to? I guess my last thought would be; what then possessed them to watch this movie and write a review? Just to show how "culturny" they are compared to all of the simpletons who enjoyed the film? Get over your snooty selves! It's a funny film that you don't have to think about, just titter for 80+ minutes, then forget it and go on with your life.

Three men; Orton, Horton and Lawton find themselves in unorthodox situations due to the misunderstanding of a bellboy.

This farcical comedy is right on the mark. Clever misunderstandings arise and they're all well played out, with a willing cast who aim to please. Dudley Moore is especially appealing here in one of his last screen roles. Bronson Pinchot is also a riot as the world's worst bellboy.

The script is tight, I felt it could have been even longer, some plot holes but who cares? It's very funny all the way. Using beautiful scenery from lovely Venice, the film gets even more of an appeal. I can't see how one can dislike a film like this.